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PONTYPOOL, South Wales, 27th July 2016 – Pontypool RFC is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Church as the club’s head of strength and conditioning for the 2016/17 WRU National Championship campaign.

The appointment marks Church’s second spell as Pooler’s fitness and performance strategist, having served the club throughout the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons before earning the opportunity to play a leading role in Newport Gwent Dragons’ strength and conditioning department.

Having since established his position at the Gwent region, Church has returned to the role following Tom Dickens’ departure from Pooler at the conclusion of last season.

“I am delighted to be back at Pooler and am grateful to Leighton Jones for the opportunity to lead the club’s strength and conditioning department,” said Church.

“There was certainly a sense of unfinished business from my perspective and I am really excited to be back working with such a committed playing squad and management staff.

“I am looking forward to playing my part to take this great club back where we feel it belongs. I just hope the players are ready for what is coming up!”

Church has wasted no time in inflicting his gruelling pre-season regime on the Pooler squad and it was this maximum effort approach that led head coach, Leighton Jones, to seek out his former colleague when selecting a new strength and conditioning coach.

“Simon is without doubt the most intense and committed strength and conditioning coach I have ever worked with,” said Jones.

“He demands so much from the team but because he is so respected by everybody at our club, the team have bought into that and want to keep pushing themselves for him.

“It was almost as though Simon had never been away and that is exactly the type of environment we are trying to build. We have an incredibly tight team who want to give that extra few per cent for each other.

“How much they will appreciate Simon’s fitness programmes by the end of pre-season however is another story all together, but everybody knows that this is what helps shape a Championship chasing team and everyone is committed to the cause.”

Have you purchased your Pontypool RFC season ticket yet? If not, you still have time! Please click here for more information on how to join the #PoolerArmy for the 2016/17 SSE SWALEC Championship season!